Regular or Large?

What is happening in our coffee shops? Cups of the caffeine-laden liquid are getting bigger and we seem to have no choice about it. Whether it is Costa, Starbucks or Cafe Nero, they are all churning out monster cups that you can barely lift!

And do they give you a choice? It seems not, as they ask you on ordering, ''Will that be a regular or a large?' Being conservative, many opt for the regular and when you see it on the tray, it dwarfs that sandwich you thought you might be struggling to eat. Are we turning into a nation of overweight, oversized and oversupplied folk, much like our cousins on the other side of the pond? It seems like it and food and drink outlets are helping us on our way to obesity.

Most coffee shops, that I frequent, do provide 'small' cups of coffee, and they are not so small that you suffer from dehydration as you leave the store. They are 'normal' sized coffees, like one might take at home and all you have to do to get them is challenge the barista when he or she presents the limited choice larger options. What's more, as far as I can tell, you get the same shot of coffee whatever the cup size. No wonder they force either the 5 inch or the 6 inch cup on customers.

UK coffee shops might promote, 'coffee straight from Milan' or 'the taste of a Tuscan coffee master', but you never see these buckets of cappuccino in Italia!